Recent studies highlight that compostable products may not be the best answer for the environment. The composting process requires oxygen and, for the most part, landfills are sealed, airtight — and therefore oxygen-free — containers within the ground. "Since landfill conditions are generally anaerobic [i.e., without oxygen], these materials do not 'compost'; instead they either persist or break down anaerobically," Peter Canepa, a life cycle assessment specialist with the Department of Environmental Quality in Oregon
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